Education on Paper

Amazing Grant and Scholarship Opportunities For African American Nursing Students

Everyone knows there’s a critical shortage of nurses. One demographic where the health care industry has been doing its best to draft more into the profession is with African Americans. According to a recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 55% of all nurses are white, 35% are black and the remaining 10% are of other races. One way to begin combating this is through scholarships and grants to encourage new students.

The industry isn’t about to let up on recruiting more African Americans. It’s well known that one thing holding many back are finances. As such, there is an incredible amount of financial assistance set aside to get more African American nurses into the work force. In fact, the site MinorityNursing.com has put up a list of over 100 of these funds. Here’s a quick sampling of some of them:

(1) The National Black Nursing Association – This is putting your money where your mouth is. The professional organization is devoted to African American nurses. It provides various scholarships of $500 to $2,000 to students currently enrolled in a BSN, ADN, diploma or LPN/LVN nursing program. Applicants must be a member of NBNA and have at least one full year of school remaining.

(2) Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association – This professional organization not only is out there to help nursing students with helpful tips on their education, but also administers several hundred grants and scholarship. Of particular interest is the Breakthrough to Nursing Scholarships, which was established in 1965.

(3) Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions – Has a special program called Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students that provides scholarships for full-time, financially needy students in nursing or health professions. One must be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident. Contact the financial aid office at the school where you are enrolled or are planning to apply for admission.

(4) Humility of Mary Health Partners/Minority Nurse Anesthetist Scholarship – This program enables minority RNs with BSN degrees to become part of the rarified profession of a nurse anesthetists by awarding them a $10,000 fellowship. Applicants must meet all admission requirements and commit to practicing at Humility of Mary Health Partners after completing the program.

(5) Minority Nurse Magazine Scholarship Program – Awards scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 and is open to racial and ethnic minority students who will be enrolled in either: the third or fourth year of an accredited BSN program in the United States, an accelerated program leading to a BSN degree (such as RN-to-BSN or BA-to-BSN) or an accelerated Master’s; of entry nursing program for students with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing (such as BA-to-MSN).

If you are thinking to pursue a career in any specific field then considering a certificate program can add value to your career prospects. Presently, certificate degree in different subjects are the most sought-after programs as they are short in duration and are a great way of learning. In recent years, many universities providing numerous certificate programs have surged dramatically. In fact, many of these certificate programs have managed to come up to the level of degree programs.

Often, certificate degree are framed to focus on different essential parts of the subject and usually take less time to complete. They are a great way to enhance your qualifications. Another attractive part of such programs are the practical knowledge that is imparted during the course of study. This is very helpful and equips an individual with various skills that might further help him or her in enjoying a good job or promotion. Some of the most popular certificate courses that have pulled the attention of many students of the United States in recent times are:

Day-care education program

It is a program meant to introduce an individual with the necessities of a Child Development Associate credential. The curriculum primarily aims in introducing students with skills that are needed in a child day care profession. During the course students are taught about educational programs, developmental health for children, nutrition, first-aid needs of preschool children etc. This certificate program is sufficient for graduates who want to step into the entry-level work available in the variety of child day care management institutions. If required, graduates can pursue further specialization at a higher level that will immensely enhance their career prospects.

Corporate training and education management program

The certificate program in corporate training and education management is in high demand and its curriculum mainly includes practical training that often an employer craves for. In the course, students are prepared to enter administrative work in any educational setting with an effective study program, which includes financial/budgetary administration, leadership along with curriculum development and personnel management. Once the student completes the program, he or she can get employment primarily in education administration. Adding to this, if a student is more interested to grab a position at higher level than a degree in a master’s program can be very beneficial. As far as career outlook in this field is concerned, it is very positive.

Early childhood education program

Career in early childhood education is a great opportunity to work with children of different age groups other than day care. Completing this short program can help student work with children, depending on the area of your specialization. Career prospects are high due to increasing school enrolment. A student can further opt for higher education in order to boost his or her qualifications and secure better opportunities.

Certainly, there are different top certificate programs and choosing one of them can help you as a student to have specialized training, which is essential to get right placement in their desired career. In recent times, certificate programs have made its remarkable presence in learning filed with effective curriculum. Today the increasing job prospects in every industry have raised the value of certificate programs and in the next few years it is going to gain more recognition.

It’s been expected and now it’s finally happened. The College Board reported last Thursday on the growing gap between the United States and other countries in terms of their college graduation rates. Together with the overall degradation of American high school education, this threatens to undermine the nation’s economic competitiveness.

The United States used to be the world’s number one by its college graduates from 25 to 34 years. Now it ranks only 12th among 36 developed nations.

“The growing education deficit is no less a threat to our nation’s long-term well-being than the current fiscal crisis,” Gaston Caperton, the President of the College Board, warned at a meeting of education leaders and policy makers on Capitol Hill. He also released a report which recommended to “think P-16 and improve education from preschool through higher [one]” in order to increase the completion rates.

“We led the world in the 1980s, but we didn’t build from there,” said William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, who hosted the Washington discussion along with Mr. Caperton. “If you look at people 60 and over, about 39 – 40 percent have college degrees, and if you look at young people, too, about 39 – 40 percent have college degrees. Meanwhile, other countries have passed us by.”

While public and media attention was mostly paid to college accession rates in recent decades, college graduation rates are relatively new item on the national agenda. Everything started a year ago when President Obama announced his American Graduation Initiative that urged for five million more college graduates by 2020.

This month, after chairing the National Governors Association, Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia spoke on his similar initiative.

While policy makers are still uncertain on how to exactly improve the college graduation rates, underfunding is believed to be the core of the problem. Many sponsors, funds and philanthropic organizations have declared on their intentions to help.

In April, Melinda Gates spoke before the American Association of Community Colleges convention and called for community college heads to boost college completion, promising that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would contribute up to $110 million to fund their initiatives.

Canada currently holds the first place of the world’s educational attainment rating, with 56 percent of its young adults holding at least associate’s degrees in 2007, compared with only 40 percent of those in the United States. In 2010, the US positions improved slightly, though the overall situation is still difficult.

While almost 70 percent of the US high school graduates enroll in community colleges and 57 percent go to the bachelor’s degree program, fewer than 25 percent of them manage to graduate after all. Many drop out for multiple reasons, predominantly for their tuition debts.

The problem is even worse for low-income students and minorities: only 30 percent of African-Americans, and less than 20 percent of Latinos succeed in getting at least the associate’s degree. Whereas students from the highest income families are almost eight times as likely as those from the lowest income families to earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24.

“It’s crystal clear most students drop out of colleges not for the poor progress, but for their inability to pay. However we keep on hullabalooing about students default their loans instead of following our partners’ experience. Rise and shine: investing in schooling is investing in our future!”, – Matthew Barney, ProfEssays.com economic expert and a former TA said.

Main US competitors have quite the contrary approach to higher education, with a far greater share of state financing in the education budget. Consequently, the higher education costs tangibly cheaper there. In the UK, for instance, the annual tuition fee for studying in the high-end university like Oxford is slightly more than $5,000. France and Germany fund their universities at the state level, with huge subsidies, incentives and grants given to students, including the foreign ones.

Higher education in India and China is free, with these countries scoring increasingly high in economic performance lately. Many speculate that if not for the brain drain and poor living conditions in there, the US would have ranked far behind in its college graduation rates.

The College Board’s recommendations include an all-embracing approach that concerns K-12 education, calling for more state-financed programs at all levels, dropout prevention and alignment with international curricular standards. College costs were also mentioned, with recommendations for more need-based financial aid and subsidies.

Will they succeed in it – the time can only tell.

If the field of teaching is intriguing to you, then elementary education training is an appropriate place to start. Students who plan to teach in elementary or secondary schools should become familiar with individual state requirements to determine which elementary education program will be the best fit.

While all states require a Bachelor Degree (BA) to teach in the public sector, some vocational schools offer transfer programs whereby an Associate Degree (AA) may be attained prior to earning additional credit hours at a college or university.

Common curriculums provided in elementary education training may include various levels of English Composition, Education, Communication, Introduction to Education for Children with Special Needs, Classroom Instruction, Educational Psychology, and Child Growth and Development. Other courses in an elementary education training program may include Mathematics, History, Science, Physical Education, and more.

Public school teachers are required to be licensed in all 50 states, and licensure is most often granted by individual State Boards of Education upon completion of an approved education training program. Those who wish to teach in the private sector may not always be required to have a Bachelor’s Degree. In this case, students may attain elementary education training via a vocational school and present an Associate’s Degree to gain a private school teaching position.

If you are serious about a career in teaching, requirements can go well beyond the education obtained in a traditional or vocational school; many educational boards encourage and/or require professional certification. In particular, there is currently a National Certification program (sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) that allows teachers to transfer licenses from one state to another.

Typically, students who have successfully completed elementary education training at a trade school, and have gone on to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, may acquire gainful employment as teachers in preschool, kindergarten, elementary or middle schools.

If you are interested in learning more about Elementary Education Training [http://www.schoolsgalore.com/categories/3/elementary_education_schools.html] and Elementary Education Schools, search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

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Congress Increases Funding For Women to Return to School – $10,000 in Grants and Scholarships

One of his first major agendas after President Obama’s inauguration was the Scholarships For Moms Program. This program helps American mothers in returning to higher education by providing the necessary funding that is often so difficult to acquire. Along with a personal request to American mothers to access this money and re-enter programs of higher education, extra funding has been instituted in the form of scholarships, grants, and tax credits.

In these hard financial times, it is even more important to have a secondary education degree in order to stay competitive in today’s job market. Mothers, and especially single mothers, often give up their chance for this advancement in order to better care for their children due to the high cost of childcare here in America. They often must work two jobs in order to support themselves and their children. Motivated moms – although they desire to further their education – see the financial obstacles involved in returning to college as too large. Obama’s Scholarships For Moms is an attempt to put extra money into the hands of these American mothers in the form of grants, scholarships, and tax credits.

The Scholarships For Moms program increased the popular Pell Grant by as much as 13% with its sole purpose to help underprivileged Americans in attaining a quality education. More money was injected into the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). Along with the financial increases in these helpful programs, a tax credit of up to $4000 was instituted for those mothers willing to pursue their dreams by way of a higher education. President Obama also urged institutions of higher learning to use the money that they receive through federal subsidies for helping these mothers to receive a quality education, warning that he would no longer tolerate any irrelevant uses of the money.